There are questions though about Lyvette Crespo's claim that she was a battered wife. Her attorney provided photos of her with a bruised face to the media but not to investigators. The prosecutor said there was never any information about the circumstances of the injuries.

Officials stated that Lyvette Crespo told authorities her husband had struck her 19-year-old son during an argument. Investigators questioned whether lethal force was necessary, and the time she had to deliberate on her decision.

"She did take time to go from one room in the house to another room in the house to retrieve that weapon. Obviously to check that weapon, then to proceed down the stairs, take a stance and aim and shoot," the prosecutor said in court Wednesday.

Yet there was some evidence that Lyvette Crespo was a victim in the relationship, which can easily sway a jury, the prosecutor said.